Beyoncé performed on Christmas Day 2024 as part of the halftime show during a football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. Beyoncé’s set at the halftime show performance has already gone viral, with fans divided over the quality of the performance. Some people online seem to have been mesmerized by Beyoncé’s typical alluring performance style, while others believe she missed the mark this time. Nevertheless, the halftime show was a tour-de-force that contained many hidden details that many people may have initially overlooked at first watch.
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During the half-time show, the 32-time Grammy winner performed some of her own songs from her album “Cowboy Carter,” including her cover of “Blackbird” by The Beatles. The show was quite the spectacle, featuring live horses, and fabulous carriages, which tie into her song, “16 Carriages.” The show also featured a marching band, which was quite impressive, to say the least. The show, dubbed “Beyoncé Bowl,” was streamed live on Netflix just like the “Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson” boxing match. Viewers who tuned into Netflix’s live fight in 2024 experienced technical difficulties, but luckily, fans enjoying the “Beyoncé Bowl” at home faced hardly any interruptions due to technical difficulties.
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“Beyoncé Bowl” is undoubtedly a hit, and some small details hidden within the “Halo” singer’s performance are becoming the special’s most iconic moments.
The Juneteenth reference
During “Beyoncé’s Bowl,” one detail that was noticed by fans online was the references to the first Juneteenth parades held in the US. During the NFL half-time show performance, Beyoncé is dressed in all-white, walking down a white staircase. Nearby the steps was a floral carriage. Floral carriages carry much significance, since they were featured in historic Juneteenth celebrations held in the Third Ward in Houston, Texas. Beyoncé was born in Houston, so the reference most likely hit close to home.
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Viewers were impressed with the Juneteenth reference, taking to social media to praise the moment. “Love that Beyoncé referenced the early Juneteenth parades and celebrations held in Emancipation Park in Third Ward, Houston, TX with her floral carriage stage during the Halftime Show,” one person wrote on X. “Love how @Beyonce always help us to remember our history,” another commented on the X post. The Juneteenth reference in “Beyoncé’s Bowl” showcases how the world-renowned musician not only performs the house down, but she also incorporates important political messages into her work, making her one of the most innovative performers of our time.
The significance of Tanner Adell
Another understated moment from “Beyoncé Bowl” that has been talked about online is when Beyoncé brought out several well-known country singers to perform a rendition of “Blackbird” by The Beatles. Among the talented musicians that joined Beyoncé for this particular number is Tanner Adell, who released her popular song “Buckle Bunny” in 2023. Adell’s inclusion is notable because it was evident based on comments from Adell that a dream of her’s was to perform with Beyoncé. During an interview with Revolt (via Yahoo!), Adell expressed how Beyoncé has always been one of the musicians she hoped to someday be able to unite musically with. “Beyoncé is just someone that I’ve always looked up to and really loved and wanted to collaborate with,” She told the outlet. Also, within a lyric of “Buckle Bunny,” Adell compared herself in a positive way to the “Crazy in Love” singer.
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Then, Adell’s dream came true when she was featured on Beyoncé’s eighth studio album, “Cowboy Carter,” for the song “Blackbird.” Things went full circle when Adell came out to perform the song alongside Beyoncé during ‘Beyonce Bowl,” and fans took to social media to express how happy they were for the up-and-coming superstar musician. “I mean Tanner Adell really went from a viral hit (Buckle Bunny) that includes the lyric “Lookin’ like Beyoncé with a lasso” to PERFORMING AT THE SUPERBOWL WITH BEYONCÈ!,” one X user wrote.
Beyoncé performed with a quartet of Black country singers
In addition to Tanner Adell, other country singers who appeared onstage with Beyoncé to perform “Blackbird” include Reyna Roberts, Brittney Spencer, and Tiera Kennedy. “What an incredible night and a dream come true! I used to pray for this day,” Roberts wrote in a caption on Instagram. Spencer also posted a photo of herself, Beyoncé, Roberts, Spencer, and Adell on Instagram, alongside a caption expressing gratitude for the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer. “Thank you God. Thank you @beyonce for this incredible moment that I’ll cherish forever,” the caption reads. “For all the beautiful Black girls out there, I hope you see this as a testament that you can be whoever you want to be and do whatever you set your mind to.”
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Adell, Roberts, Spencer, and Kennedy are all part of a quartet, and they all seem to look up to the legendary Beyoncé. The fact that Beyonce invited these talented, but lesser-known singers to not only be featured on her album but also to be brought out onstage at “Beyoncé Bowl,” showcases how the superstar takes pleasure in helping push new talent into the spotlight. The performance of “Blackbird” is beautiful to watch due to the unity between the performers, creating an undeniably unforgettable moment.
Beyoncé performed with her daughter Blue Ivy
An extremely heartfelt moment from Beyoncé’s NFL half-time performance was when the superstar’s daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, was brought out onstage to dance alongside her mom. Blue Ivy was onstage for several numbers, including “My House,” “Ya Ya” and “Texas Hold ‘Em.” While the musical numbers occurred, the mother-daughter duo were accompanied by the TSU Ocean of Soul Band, which is a marching band. During the mother-daughter performance, Blue Ivy was dressed in all white, looking similar to her mega-famous mom.
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This is not the first time that Blue Ivy appeared onstage during one of her mom’s performances. Blue Ivy toured with Beyoncé during the Renaissance Tour as a dancer after much practice, and her mom initially thought she needed more time before touring the world. “She told me she was ready to perform, and I told her no,” Beyonce said of her daughter during her concert film “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé” (via Page Six).
As of 2024, Blue Ivy has been able to enhance her performance capabilities, causing Beyoncé to have confidence in bringing her out during shows. Blue Ivy’s career is growing fast, especially since she’s starring in the 2024 film, “Mufasa: The Lion King.” During “Beyoncé Bowl,” Blue Ivy’s chemistry with her mom is nothing short of beautiful to watch, and knowing that Beyoncé has watched her daughter grow so much as a performer is also heartwarming.
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The symbolism of Beyoncé’s song choices
Beyoncé, who shares a friendship with Gwyneth Paltrow, performed a stellar concert for Netflix’s NFL half-time show, and one of the aspects that made the set so special was her eclectic song choice. From “Sweet Honey Buckiin,'” to her cover of “Jolene” by Dolly Parton, Beyoncé picked songs that are all vastly different but still gel well together, showing a side of Beyoncé that many never knew about.
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One X user noted that the transition between “Bluebird” and “Ya Ya” was completely magnetic, especially due to Donald Trump winning the 2024 presidential election. “Using freedom to get from blackbiird to ya ya is GENIUS symbolism,” the social media user wrote on X. “Not only for Black women/black people but SPECIFICALLY after the events of November 6th.” Another X user was fascinated by the icon’s attention to detail throughout her albums. “I love how intentional she is about every detail in all her projects,” they commented on X. “Looking at the parallels between the all black outfits during her superbowl performance and the all white with this recent performance is crazy!”
The fact that viewers are noticing these certain motifs throughout her performances shows just how impressive she is as an artist, and this transition in her half-time show performance was indicative of that.
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